Cad/cam apparatus for enhancing operator entry of machining attributes and geometric shapes

Abstract

A series of input units (a machining attribute specification unit, a geometric element selection unit, and an additional information input unit) of a CAD/CAM apparatus according to the present invention enables machining attributes to be input in an interactive manner while such data are displayed on a display, simplifying input procedures of various items of machining attribute information, and enables the input various item information to be displayed on the display, making confirmation of the input information easy by virtue of the simplified inputting and by the visual confirmation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A CAD/CAM apparatus in which an operator enters information identifying a machining geometric shape formed from a plurality of geometric elements and information identifying machining attributes corresponding to said geometric elements, said apparatus generating NC data based on said shape and attribute information, comprising: geometric shape input means for inputting the machining geometric shape;   geometric shape display means for displaying the machining geometric shape;   attribute type specification means for specifying a machining attribute type;   element selection means for selecting a geometric element from said plurality of geometric elements that corresponds to the specified machining attribute type;   attribute value input means for entering values for the specified machining attribute type, wherein said attribute value is automatically assigned to said selected element and at least one other element, said attribute value input means determining how many elements besides the selected element are assigned said attribute value based on the attribute type, said attribute value input means comprising; means for separately specifying a taper angle for each geometric element, and   means for specifying a taper angle along an entire circumference of the machining geometric shape with a single input command from said operator, by assigning said entered attribute value to each element from said plurality of elements connected to said selected element when an all-around taper attribute is selected, and   means for specifying a direction of wire inclination by using a mouse;   information storage means for storing the entered attribute type and value information associated with a corresponding geometric element and the geometric shape information;   attribute information display means for displaying the entered attribute type and value information at a position of the selected geometric element;   NC data generation means for generating NC data corresponding to the entered geometric shape and attribute information; and   machining path display means for displaying a machining path corresponding to the generated NC data.     
     
     
       2. A CAD/CAM apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said geometric shape includes base and auxiliary planes defined by said elements and said elements include straight line portions with corner arcs therebetween, whereby attribute values for corner arcs constitute radii, said attribute value input means further comprising:   means for inputting a value of a first corner radius of the base plane directly with a numerical value, and   means for specifying a corner arc corresponding to said first corner radius by using a mouse, said attribute input means automatically calculating and assigning a second corner radius to a corresponding second corner arc of said auxiliary plane based on said first corner radius and a taper angle.   
     
     
       3. A CAD/CAM apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said geometric shape input means includes means for generating a point at a connected portion of two geometric elements of the geometric shape displayed on the geometric shape display means in case of the connected portion being a sharp edge, and   said NC data generation means includes   means for generating NC data of the sharp edge which does not insert a corner arc into the connected portion of said geometric elements given said point, and means for generating NC data of a corner radius which inserts a corner arc into the connected portion of said geometric elements not given said point.   
     
     
       4. A CAD/CAM apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said geometric shape input means includes a mouse. 
     
     
       5. A CAD/CAM apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means includes a mouse. 
     
     
       6. A CAD/CAM apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said specifying means includes said mouse. 
     
     
       7. A CAD/CAM apparatus in which an operator enters information identifying a machining geometric shape formed from a plurality of geometric elements and information identifying machining attributes corresponding to said geometric elements, said geometric shape including base and auxiliary planes defined by said elements, said elements including straight line portions with corner arcs therebetween, and said apparatus generating NC data based on said shape and attribute information, comprising: geometric shape input means for inputting the machining geometric shape;   geometric shape display means for displaying the machining geometric shape;   attribute type specification means for specifying a machining attribute type;   element selection means for selecting a geometric element from said plurality of geometric elements that corresponds to the specified machining attribute type;   attribute value input means for entering values for the specified machining attribute type, wherein said attribute value is automatically assigned to said selected element and at least one other element, said attribute value input means determining how many elements besides the selected element are assigned said attribute value based on the attribute type, said attribute value input means further comprising: means for inputting a value of a first corner radius of the base plane directly with a numerical value, and   means for specifying a corner arc corresponding to said first corner radius by using a mouse, said attribute input means automatically calculating and assigning a second corner radius to a corresponding second corner arc of said auxiliary plane based on said first corner radius and a taper angle, whereby attribute values for corner arcs constitute radii;   information storage means for storing the entered attribute type and value information associated with a corresponding geometric element and the geometric shape information;   attribute information display means for displaying the entered attribute type and value information at a position of the selected geometric element;   NC data generation means for generating NC data corresponding to the entered geometric shape and attribute information; and   machining path display means for displaying a machining path corresponding to the generated NC data.     
     
     
       8. A CAD/CAM apparatus in which an operator enters information identifying a machining geometric shape formed from a plurality of geometric elements and information identifying machining attributes corresponding to said geometric elements, said apparatus generating NC data based on said shape and attribute information, comprising: geometric shape input means for inputting the machining geometric shape;   geometric shape display means for displaying the machining geometric shape;   attribute type specification means for specifying a machining attribute type;   element selection means for selecting a geometric element from said plurality of geometric elements that corresponds to the specified machining attribute type;   attribute value input means for entering values for the specified machining attribute type, wherein said attribute value is automatically assigned to said selected element and at least one other element, said attribute value input means determining how many elements besides the selected element are assigned said attribute value based on the attribute type, such that, when inputting machining attributes of a geometric shape, which is formed out of geometric elements continuously connected to one another by holding an endpoint of the one geometric element in common with that of another, the following instructions are performed in any sequence: taper angle inputting, corner R's specification for both upper and lower planes, specification for different upper and lower planes, and corner processing instructions;   information storage means for storing the entered attribute type and value information associated with a corresponding geometric element and the geometric shape information;   attribute information display means for displaying the entered attribute type and value information at a position of the selected geometric element;   NC data generation means for generating NC data corresponding to the entered geometric shape and attribute information; and   machining path display means for displaying a machining path corresponding to the generated NC data.   
     
     
       9. A CAD/CAM apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said geometric element selection means includes a mouse. 
     
     
       10. A CAD/CAM apparatus in which an operator enters information identifying a machining geometric shape formed from a plurality of geometric elements and information identifying machining attributes corresponding to said geometric elements, said apparatus generating NC data based on said shape and attribute information, said geometric shape includes upper and lower planes having different shapes, said upper and lower shapes being formed from first and second groups of elements, respectively, comprising: geometric shape input means for inputting the machining geometric shape;   geometric shape display means for displaying the machining geometric shape;   attribute type specification means for specifying a machining attribute type;   element selection means for selecting a geometric element from said plurality of geometric elements that corresponds to the specified machining attribute type;   attribute value input means for entering values for the specified machining attribute type, wherein said attribute value is automatically assigned to said selected element and at least one other element, said attribute value input means determining how many elements besides the selected element are assigned said attribute value based on the attribute type;   information storage means for storing the entered attribute type and value information associated with a corresponding geometric element and the geometric shape information;   attribute information display means for displaying the entered attribute type and value information at a position of the selected geometric element;   NC data generation means for generating NC data corresponding to the entered geometric shape and attribute information; and   machining path display means for displaying a machining path corresponding to the generated NC data, said element selection means comprising: first means for separately specifying each element in the upper and lower shapes, when the first and second groups contain no common elements, by separately assigning each geometric element and   second means for specifying different elements in the upper and lower shapes, when the first and second groups contain some common elements, by selecting different attribute types and different elements for said upper and lower planes, said second means automatically forming and attaching coordinate information to said specified element by tracing said specified element from a first endpoint to a second endpoint, said second endpoint being in contact with an endpoint of an element common to the upper and lower planes.